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Should I and how can I wean my baby from his swing and his "rain"?

My baby has been a "motion baby" since he was born. The only way I can get him to take a nap or to go to sleep is to swing him or nurse him. He's going to be 9 months in a week, he's 22 pounds, and length, he wears 18 month clothes. Luckily my swing's weight limit is 30 lbs. He naps with the swing on, if the swing stops, 95% of the time he wakes up. When I stayed at a hotel, we didn't bring the swing, so I had to stroll him on our floor several times so he would fall asleep.
Another thing that he needs to fall asleep is the white noise sound of rain. I got that idea from the book called, "Happiest Baby on the Block" and it was a wonderful help during his first months after his birth. The rain noise I use is actually an iPhone app so I can have it anywhere we go, so he can take a nap in the stroller if I'm out and about. Should I worry about weaning my baby from these sleep habits yet? If so, how should I do it?

I wouldn't worry about it. He won't go to school still needing rocked. You can buy a sound machine of rain and he can use that until he a 99 year old man. LOL He will outgrow the need for motion on his own. He is only a baby once. Rock away momma.

When it comes to the 30lb limit on the swing what will you do when he exceeds this? I'd wean him from the motion, definately. It's going to be hard especially if he's always waking up if he's not moving. If he takes 3 hour naps, maybe use the wswing for 1.5 hours and let him try to fall asleep without it. Every other nap time, or bed time, turn off the rain noise. Then gradually do more without rain and without motion naps and bedtimes. He'll hopefully be broken of it within a few months. Rememeber, crying is healthy. If you have to, let him cry himself to sleep for a night or two. He'll be fine.

I would work on weaning from the swing. But the noise is fine. My kids have all slept w/ a white noise machine on. Now the older 2 are 6 & 4 and sleep fine w/o it. (but since the summer have gotten hooked on the sound again fro the fan. lol). my 18 month old uses the white noise machine to sleep now too.

I would try to wean off the rain. My DD has slept with music for a long time. I recently heard a story on NPR talking about how the brain needs quiet at night for good sleep and also to store and process all of the information that has been absorbed thoughout the day. Think how much information is being absorbed by our little ones that needs to be processed by their brain at night. Anyway, the person they were interviewing said he would not recommend people use white noise or other sounds for babies to sleep to because they need quiet. So now I play the CD for DD to fall asleep to but then I shut it off after she is asleep, and I turn her fan off now, too, unless it's needed to cool the room down. To wean your son off the noise start turning it off once he is asleep, if he wakes easily maybe turn it down gradually so it isn't a sudden silence. Eventually he will get used to the quiet. GL!

The swing will wean him - as he gets heavier and closer to the weight limit it will have a harder time swinging him as much - it'll slow down on it's own. Just don't swing him in your arms to make up for it and he'll naturally "wean" from it. The rain sound...I say as long as the volume is very low, it's fine...but if you want to wean him from that too turn the volume down 1 notch every week til he gets used to it going away - but I think that one will be harder for him!

Answer by
Anonymous
at 2:52 PM on Oct. 12, 2010

I recommend that you stop using the swing as sleep in a swing is not as restorative than motionless sleep. Its similar to an adult sleeping on an airplane. The adult wakes up somewhat rested but not feeling as well as if sleep occured in a bed. Your son does need to learn the skills necessary to fall asleep and stay asleep on his own. If he doesn't learn this skill, it can become a problem and lead to fragmented sleep and multiple night wakenings. This is also not restful sleep and can lead to many difficulties later on. Feel free to drop by my group, Helping Your Child Sleep, if you have more questions. Good Luck! http://www.cafemom.com/group/112077